Most people envy men of wealth and their grand appearance, but what do you really know about their world?

Southern Weekly recently conducted a survey of the richest entrepreneurs on the Chinese mainland, all of whom had an average individual wealth of 2.202 billion yuan. They were asked about their career and money, as well as religious beliefs, marriage and family, views on sexual relations and life in general.

There are 80 people on China's annual richest entrepreneur list, which draws only from the mainland. While 55 percent of these men on took part in the survey and returned their questionnaires, only 33 of them were valid .

The average age of those surveyed is 49.8; the oldest is 58 and youngest 33. Seven were in their 30s, accounting for 21.2 percent of the total; nine were in their 40s, 27.3 percent of the group; eleven were in their 50s, the largest age group, making up 33.3 percent of the total figure; and only 6 were over 60, 18.2 percent of the Chinese mainland's richest men.

Only 17 of these men held bachelor degrees, 51.5 percent of the group, and 8 held masters degrees or higher, 24.2 percent of the group.

In terms of career, as many as 75 percent of China's richest entrepreneurs have worked in similar organizations and industries, and some of them have held high managerial posts. Of them, 16 were CPC members, 48.5 percent of the total.

There were five categories in the questionnaire: career, wealth, marriage and family, religion and life.

Career is just one part of life, and a course through it, but wealth plays a big role.

Of those surveyed 27 acknowledged this when they were asked for their views on their career. Only four said their careers meant everything to them and two claimed to be indifferent.

When asked how they would choose to dispose of their property, only three were willing to hand it over to the stand. Fifteen said they would trust the process to professional agents and twelve would pass it on to family members. One said he would hand donate it to those in need, one had never considered the matter before and one declined to answer.

Most of mainland China's richest men have mixed feelings about money.

Asked where they spent most of their money "outside of further business development," 13 of the 33 surveyed said they would improve the welfare of their employees and managerial team, 12 said they would donate money to charities, 5 said they would cultivate and develop their personal hobbies, and 3 said they would improve their own standard of living.

As of what the huge wealth would bring on them, most of the rich people attached great importance on social status and sense of achievement money has brought on them. Meanwhile, 7 of them have also acknowledged that money brought them sense of insecurity and vexation.

Rich entrepreneurs laid more importance on career than marriage and family and half of them turned a blind eye to extramarital affairs.

On the question of which one will you choose, career or marriage and family, 21 chose the former as against only 12 the latter.

As of the extramarital relations, ten said they were indifferent to it while six believed it was reasonable as against 16 who held it was irrational. Apart from that, six of them have ever divorced.

Most of the rich entrepreneurs hold a proper attitude towards life.

When answering the question of what can make you feel great happiness, 11 chose health, 9 successful career, 8 easy life and 6 happy family.

Being asked on the attitude on life, 20 of them have voiced positive opinion on that, while 9 held life was changeable as against 1 who held an indifferent view.

Generally speaking, most of the rich entrepreneurs held proper and active view on life. But there were still a certain amount of people held that life was changeable, which showed their helplessness towards the reality.

Rich entrepreneurs are polarized on religious belief.

When being asked the view on religious belief, 16 voiced their indifferent view followed by 13 positive answers and 4 negative ones.

On the question of whether you had religious belief or not, 23 chose no while 10 chose yes.

As of the question of which religion you believed in, only 12 chose Buddhism, and 2 who declined to acknowledge personal belief also chose Buddhism. They believed to be non-Buddhists but appropriated Buddhist ideas and were fascinated by the influence of Buddhist doctrine and posed themselves off as disciples of Buddhist thinking.

Generally speaking, there were 20 rich entrepreneurs who held indifferent or negative idea towards religion, and most of them adopted an attitude of negating it. However, there were also 13 who had positive view on religion or believed in Buddhism, which could not be neglected.

(People's Daily July 21, 2006)